Container



March 12, 1963 w, uc c 3,081,016

CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24. 1960 March 12, 1963 M. w. KUCHENBECKER 3,081,016

CONTAINER Filed May 24, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BV/MJWZ/(CW United States Patent 3,081,016 CONTAINER Morris W. Kuchenbecker, Neenah, Wis., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 24, 1960, Ser. No. 31,328 12 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) The present invention relates to a self-sustaining carton or container having a protective lining and a unitary blank therefor, for the packaging and dispensing therefrom of fiowable products, such as liquids, granulated substances and the like and has particular reference to a top end closure which includes a hingeable tear-out tab and means to protect the container lining against rupture during hinging of the tab.

The container is readily formed from laminated paperboard comprising an outer heavy layer of fibre board and an inner relatively lighter liner or liner layer of treated fibre, polyethylene, metallic foil or other suitable sheet material to provide liquid leak-proofness, thus permitting the economy of manufacture required in the competitive market developed through widespread use I of this type of container for milk.

In the manufacture of containers of this type provision is usually made for dispensing the contents of the container by way of a pouring opening or spout defined in the blank and the container produced therefrom by tabs or blank portions which are folded or hinged into position during the manufacture of the container to produce the top closure. In certain types of containers the closure includes tabs which mustbe torn out when opening the container to produce the pouring opening or to release the pouring spout. In order to facilitate tearing out of the tab, its fold or hinge line preferably is formed with a series of short slits or perforations or a long slit. For best results these perforations or slits should extend entirely through the outer heavy layer of the container but shouldnot penetrate into the liner layer otherwise the container would leak through the slits.

However it has been found that when such slits are provided in the hinge line of tabs which are folded into an angular position relative to the container wall during forming of the container in the dairy, the sharp edge of the outer heavy layer adjacent the tab slit cuts into the liner layer and causes rupture of the liner layer adjacent the slit and thereby results in a leaking of the container at this section of the container.

It is an object of the instant invention to overcome this rupture of the container liner by providing a weakened area adjacent the hinge line slit in the tab so that when the tab is folded into position along the slit hinge line in the container, the weakened area yields under the bending action'of the tab and thereby relieves the strain on the liner with the result that the sharp edge of he outer layer adjacent the slit is prevented from cutting into and breaking the liner open.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sealed container top closure of the container with parts broken away and entirely through the shown in section to clearly shoW the folded tab forming an essential part of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along a plane indicated by the lines 44 in FIG. 1, with parts broken away;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along a plane indicated by the lines 55 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the results of the folding of the tab of the container.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, the drawings illustrate a substantially rectangular container comprising a body 15, a bottom 16 and a top end closure 17 (FIG. 1) made from a single laminated paper board blank 18 (FIG. 2) of generally rectangular configuration and comprising an outer heavy fibre board sheet 21 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) and an inner relatively lighter liner sheet 22, which covers the entire blank. The container shown preferably is provided with a peak or gable shaped top end closure although the in vention is equally well adapted to a flattop end closure if desired.

The liner sheet or layer 22 preferably is made of relatively thin, strong paper with a polyethylene coating on its inner face and with itsuncoated face adhesively secured to the inner face of the outer heavy fibreboard so as to protect the fibreboard against contact with contents of the container.

To produce the container shown in FIG. 1, the blank 18 is provided with vertical scored or crease lines 24, 25,

26, 27, along which the blank FIG. 2 to provide four container 30, 31, and a glue flap 32 which the inner face of the side wall together.

The bottom 16 for the container may be formed in any suitable manner. By way of example, the lower edge of the blank 18 is provided with four bottom flaps 3-3 which are separately foldable upwardly into overlapping relation and are adhesively secured together to provide a solid four layer bottom for the container.

At its upper end, the blank 18 is suitably cut and scored or creased to divide it into a plurality of top end closure panels 35, 36, 37, 38 which are foldable extensions of the body side walls 28, 29, 30, 31, respectively and connecting tabs or tab extensions 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, (FIG. 2) which are folded into overlapping relation and adhesively secured together as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 to produce a flat top end seam 50 for sealing the container closure and for holding the interfolded closure panels 35, 36, 37, 38 in place.

The container preferably is formed with a conveniently available or built-in pouring spout which is defined by diagonal score or crease lines 52, 53 in the front closure panel 36 and similar diagonal score or crease lines 54 in the two side closure panels 35, 37.

To release the pouring spout so that it can be expanded outwardly into spout formation for use in dispensing the container contents, the adjacent end of the top seam 50 is torn upwardly and rearwardly to tear away the seam tabs 42, 43, 44, and portions of tabs 41, 45. To facilitate this tearing .action the base of these tabs are provided with perforations 56 which extend outer heavy fibre board layerof the container but do not penetrate the liner layer to prevent leakage of the container contents.

Since the tearing away of the tab 43 is edected bv an upward pull on the tab, its base preferably is provided with a long slit 58 to greater facilitate the tearing action. In the container this tab 43 is folded along its slit hinge line at an acute angle to the front closure panel 36 so is folded as shown in body side walls 28, 2 is adhesively secured to 28 to hold the body the top end seam 50 as best shown in lflGS. 3 and 4. It will be noted that this line of bend is exposed to the interior of the container. ln producing this bend, the sharp edges of the tab 43 and the adjacent panel 36 resulting from the slit 58, hinge relative to each other as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 and tend to cut into the liner 22 and thereby rupture the liner at the line of bend. Since this line of bend is exposed the rupture provides a free passageway from the interior to the exterior of the container and thereby results in a leaking of the container contents.

In order to overcome this rupture of the liner 22, the area immediately adjacent and along the slit 58 is weakened so as to provide a flexibility of the outer heavy fibre board adjacent the slit, with the result that when the tab 43 is bent into its required position in the container, the material of the heavy fibre board yields sufficiently to permit the bending action without straining or rupture of the liner. This flexible or weakened area may be provided in the tab 43 or in both the tab 43 and the panel 36, if desired and may be effected in any suitable manner.

A preferred form of weakened area, as shown in the drawings, consists of a plurality of short parallel slits 61 (FIGS. 2 and which radiate from and extend into the hinge line slit 58. These short weakening slits 61 preferably are disposed in the tab 43 and may be scored or entirely out through the tab but do not penetrate into the liner 22. The weakening slits preferably are produced in the blank 18 before the liner layer 22 is applied thereto. The slits 61 may be normal to the slit 58 or at an angle thereto as desired. The short slits 61, however, are spaced close enough together to divide the weakened area into a plurality of narrow pliant prongs 62 to provide flexibility of the area.

As a result of these weakening slits 61 and prongs 62 the edge of the heavy fibre board adjacent the slit 58 yields or is crushed as shown in FIG. 6, during the bending of the tab 43 into its proper position in the finished container and the liner 22 along this line of bend is protected against rupture as hereinbefore mentioned and thereby preserves the leakproofness of the liner. The customer is thereby assured of a non-leaking container.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing descripion, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A container made of laminated material comprising an outer heavy layer and an inner relatively lighter liner layer, a tear-out tab formed in said container and connected thereto along a hinge line, said tab being folded along said hinge line with said liner layer disposed outwardly of the fold, said hinge line containing a slit extending through said outer heavy layer to facilitate'tearmg out of said tab along said hinge line and a plurality of short slits radiating from said hinge line slit in said outer heavy layer to provide flexibility of said outer heavy layer ad acent said hinge line slit whereby said heavy layer ad acent said slit is readily compressed to protect said liner layer against rupture by an edge of said hinge line slit during hinging of said tab.

2. container of the character defined in claim 1 wherein said short slits are spaced close enough to divide the included area into a plurality of pliant Drone t provide flexibility of said area to protect said liner laver against rupture during hinging of said tab. 1

3. A container made of laminated material comprising an outer'heavy layer and an inner relatively lighter liner that it properly underlies layer, a tear-out tab formed in said container and connected thereto along a tab hinge line, said tab being folded along said hinge line with said liner layer overwrapping the fold, sald hinge line having a slit portion colinear therewith extending through said heavy layer to facilitate tearing out of said tab along said hinge line, and means defining within said heavy layer an area of increased deformability of said heavy layer immediately adjacent said slit portion to protect said liner layer against rupture by a slit edge of said heavy layer during folding of said tab.

4. A container of the character defined in claim 3 wherein said area of increased deforinability of said heavy layer is disposed in said tab.

5. A container of the character defined in claim 3 wherein said inner relatively lighter liner layer is a sheet of strong paper adhesively secured to said outer heavy layer. p

6. A container of the character defined in claim 3 wherein said inner relatively lighter liner layer is a film of polyethylene applied to said outer heavy layer.

7. A container of the character defined in claim 3 wherein said inner relatively lighter liner layer is a metallic foil secured to said outer heavy layer.

8. A container made of laminated material comprising a heavy layer and a relatively lighter layer, a closure panel formed in said container, a tear-out tab connected to said panel along a tab fold line, said tab being folded at an angle to said panel with said lighter layer overwrapping the fold, said fold line having a slit portion colinear therewith extending through said heavy layer to facilitate tearing out of said tab along said fold line, and means defining within said heavy layer an area of increased deformability of said heavy layer immediately adjacent said slit portion to protect said lighter layer against rupture by a slit edge of said heavy layer during the folding of said tab into said angular position.

9. A unitary laminated blank foldable into a tubular self-sustaining container, said blank comprising an outer fibre board layer and an inner liner layer, a tear-out tab formed in said blank and connected thereto along a tab hinge line, said tab hinge line having a slit portion colinear therewith extending through said outer layer to facilitate tearing out of said tab along said hinge line, said liner layer extending over and sealing said slit portion of said hinge line, and means defining with said outer layer an area of increased deformability of said outer layer immediately adjacent said slit portion to protect said liner layer against rupture by a slit edge of said outer layer during hinging of said tab about said hinge line when said blank is folded to produce a container.

10. A unitary blank of the character defined in claim 9 wherein said area of increased deformability of said outer layer is disposed in said tab.

11. A unitary laminated blank foldable into a tubular self-sustaining container, said blank comprising a heavy fibre board layer and a relatively lighter layer, a tearout tab formed in said blank and connected thereto along a tab hinge line having a slit portion substantially colinear therewith and extending through said heavy layer to facilitate tearing out of said tab along said hinge line, said lighter layer extending over and sealing said slit portion of said hinge line, and a plurality of short slits radiating from said hinge line slit in said heavy layer to provide an area of increased deformability of said heavy layer adjacent said hinge line slit whereby said heavy layer adjacent said slit is readily compressed to protect said lighter layer against rupture by an edge of said hinge line slit during hinging of said tab about said hinge line when said blank is folded to produce container.

12. A unitary blank of the character defined in claim ll wherein said short slits are disposed in'said tab and divide the included area into a plurality of thin pliant strips thereby providing said area of increased deformab-ility of said heavy layer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith Oct. 12, 1926 Miller Jan. 15, 1929 

1. A CONTAINER MADE OF LAMINATED MATERIAL COMPRISING AN OUTER HEAVY LAYER AND AN INNER RELATIVELY LIGHTER LINER LAYER, A TEAR-OUT TAB FORMED IN SAID CONTAINER AND CONNECTED THERETO ALONG A HINGE LINE, SAID TAB BEING FOLDED ALONG SAID HINGE LINE WITH SAID LINER LAYER DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF THE FOLD, SAID HINGE LINE CONTAINING A SLIT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OUTER HEAVY LAYER TO FACILITATE TEARING OUT OF SAID TAB ALONG SAID HINGE LINE AND A PLURALITY OF SHORT SLITS RADIATING FROM SAID HINGE LINE SLIT IN SAID OUTER HEAVY LAYER TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY OF SAID OUTER HEAVY LAYER ADJACENT SAID HINGE LINE SLIT WHEREBY SAID HEAVY LAYER ADJACENT SAID SLIT IS READILY COMPRESSED TO PROTECT SAID LINER LAYER AGAINST RUPTURE BY AN EDGE OF SAID HINGE LINE SLIT DURING HINGING OF SAID TAB. 